Unsurprisingly, the men in blue remain the popular favourites, but other sportspersons are breaking through too.

Virat Kohli isn't just India's most loved sportsperson. He is also one of the most influential youth icons, which explains why he earns an estimated $120,000 for a branded Instagram post, making him the only Indian to feature in the list released by Instagram scheduling tool HopperHQ in July.

While 29-year-old Kohli has few challengers, leading the team overseas in Tests continues to be the Indian captain's sternest challenge. He also just lost his number one position in the ICC Test rankings to former Australian captain Steve Smith after a forgettable personal outing at Lord's. That said, in team India's sub-par performances abroad, Kohli has been a saving grace.

Indians can't get enough of cricket, which explains why Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings to their third Indian Premier League title in their comeback season, finished second, and batsman Rohit Sharma third.

The most promising development in the latest MOTN poll was that respondents took cognisance of the accomplishments of other athletes, especially women, in sports that pale in comparison to cricket when it comes to sponsorship and television coverage. Two-time World Championship silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu continues to be the country's most famous woman athlete, followed by her senior peer Saina Nehwal. New entries include sprinter Hima Das, who stormed on to the scene, winning the World U-20 Athletics Championship in the 400m race, and shooter Heena Sindhu. Both will be top medal contenders at the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia.

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